Album Review: Ping Rose – Conjure Man

With a dazzlingly varied musical back story, Memphis-born, Nashville-based guitarist, singer and songwriter Ping Rose makes music in the blues tradition. But while Rose uses blues as a foundation, on Conjure Man, it’s leveraged as a jumping-off point for musical explorations that take him well outside the idiom.

Rose debuted on record with 2020’s Sketchbook; that record was steeped in soul and pop textures. Tracks like “Danger” displayed a soulful vibe that struck a balance between a radio-ready approach and something with a bit more substance. But Sketchbook didn’t truly define Rose as an artist in a way that set him apart from myriad other singer-songwriters plying their trade.

In contrast, Conjure Man is a much more full-formed collection, more of a musical statement of purpose. Rose’s diverse background – a stint as a cruise ship musician, time spent playing in rock bands – informs his approach to the blues without stripping it of its essence. A formally trained musician, Ping Rose has depth, sincerity and grit to balance the schooling. Right out of the gate on Conjure Man, he serves up an instrumental: “Cloverhill Stomp” traffics in Delta blues textures, adding a shuffling rock rhythm section to the mix. The result is blues-informed, classic and modern at the same time.

The spotlight track on Conjure Man is “Salty,” a slow blues released as a single ahead of the album. Rose employs a BB King-styled call-and-response to vocal and guitar, using the song’s languid pace as a vehicle to spin a swaggering lyric. And Rose’s spirited slide guitar work showcases both his technical mastery and emphasis upon delivering memorable musicality.

Across the album’s nine tracks, Rose takes the listener on a musical journey that hints at his influences, and those influences aren’t just the usual blues suspects. Hints of Prince, Wes Montgomery (album closer “The Tail End”) and Donny Hathaway makes themselves known. While there’s nothing especially hip hop- about “Don’t Drink Me Dry,” a hip hop sensibility informs the tune and its undeniably bluesy structure. “Careful What You Wish For” could pass for a lost Stevie Wonder album cut. “Darkness” suggests time spent with Sly Stone records. And like Wonder – one of his primary influences – on Conjure Man, Rose plays nearly all of the instruments.

Yet despite Rose’s prowess on multiple instruments, it’s on guitar where he shines most brightly. Adept at all manner of styles and textures, Rose makes a point of showcasing his scope and versatility. But he does that within the context of solid, memorable songcraft.

At a shade over 40 minutes, Conjure Man manages to cover a great deal of musical territory, though each and every track makes it clear that no matter how far he might wander genre-wise, blues is where Ping Rose is most at home.